Fire Safety

UPDATE JULY 28, 2025

Fire Danger rating is now EXTREME

Cease activity between 1 p.m. local time and sunset each day and maintain a fire watcher immediately after the high risk activity ends for a minimum of 2 hours. After 3 consecutive days of Extreme Fire Rating, cease activity all day

High risk activities are defined in the Wildfire Regulation under "Definitions".

In the Wildfire Regulation, high risk activities mean each of the following:
(As per Wildfire Regulation consolidated April 2023.)

(a) mechanical brushing;
(b) disk trenching;
(c) preparation or use of explosives;
(d) using fire- or spark-producing tools, including cutting tools;
(e) using or preparing fireworks or pyrotechnics;
(f) grinding, including rail grinding;
(g) mechanical land clearing;
(h) clearing and maintaining rights of way, including grass mowing;
(i) any of the following activities carried out in a cutblock excluding a road, landing, roadside work area or log sort area in the cutblock:
    (i) operating a power saw;
    (ii) mechanical tree felling, woody debris piling or tree processing, including de-limbing;
    (iii) welding;
    (iv) portable wood chipping, milling, processing or manufacturing;
    (v) skidding logs or log forwarding unless it is improbable that the skidding or forwarding will result in the equipment contacting rock;
    (vi) yarding logs using cable systems;

Please follow the link below for more details.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/for...

Update July 16, 2025 - CAMPFIRE BAN

Coastal Fire Centre to enact Category 1 Open Fire Prohibition

Effective at 12:00 p.m. (noon) PDT on Thursday, July 17, 2025, campfires will be prohibited throughout the Coastal Fire Centre

In addition to open fires being prohibited, the following activities and equipment are also restricted in most areas:

Fireworks; as defined in the Fireworks Act;
- Binary Exploding Targets;
- Sky Lanterns
- Wood fired hot tubs, wood fired pizza ovens and other wood fired devices unless vented through a structure that has a flue and is incorporated in a building;
- Burn Barrels or Burn Cages of any size or description;
- Controlled air incinerators
- Air curtain burners; and Carbonizers.

Richard Carlson, Fire Chief.
Lasqueti Island Volunteer Fire Department

What the danger class ratings mean

Low: Fires may start easily and spread quickly but there will be minimal involvement of deeper fuel layers or larger fuels.

Moderate: Forest fuels are drying and there is an increased risk of surface fires starting. Carry out any forest activities with caution.

High: Forest fuels are very dry and the fire risk is serious. New fires may start easily, burn vigorously, and challenge fire suppression efforts. Extreme caution must be used in any forest activities. Open burning and industrial activities may be restricted.

Extreme: Extremely dry forest fuels and the fire risk is very serious. New fires will start easily, spread rapidly, and challenge fire suppression efforts. General forest activities may be restricted, including open burning, industrial activities and campfires.

https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/wildfire-situation/fire-danger

The full details can be seen here
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prevention/for-industry-commercial-operators/high-risk-activities

Denman fire has a good, plain language explanation. 

https://denmanfire.ca/outdoor-burning/fire-hazard-rating-explained/